Moving On
by RJEisenhuth
Summary: Sequel to the fiction "Reimagined" where Helena, now on Earth and living her life, becomes reacquainted with John Koenig - and learns things are not as good on the moon as the media makes it seem. Later, on Alpha, the situation becomes dire yet again when subterfuge is uncovered! Is the Meta mission jeopardized? Will the moon escape its fate? J/H centric.
1. Chapter 1

**Moving On**

* * *

 _This sequel to "Reimagined" take place nearly six months after Helena Russell leaves Moonbase Alpha. She is comfortable with her job at Manhattan General until someone shows up to either bring joy or throw her life into utter turmoil!_

* * *

"Surprised?"

She stared at him, wide-eyed. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again." The woman confessed, clipboard in hand, the usually cool doctor suddenly flustered but delighted.

 _How foolish I must have looked_. Dr. Helena Russell thought as she sat by herself in quiet Italian restaurant, gently swirling the red wine about in her glass, thoughtful. She smiled mildly, waiting for her date, looking lovely in an upswept hair-do and dark blue satin dress she had bought on a whim a couple weeks ago. 'Perhaps I knew." She thought with a bit of whimsey.

Her last days on Moonbase Alpha were fraught with frustration and anger. She did not deserve what Simmonds and the elite at Space Commission did to her, blaming her for the deaths of eleven astronauts, forcing her to agree to their terms. If she planned on keeping her head above water, continuing with her chosen career, she had to sign on the dotted line, agreeing to be incompetent.

Perhaps that was a little harsh but not far from the truth.

The only good thing to come out of that mess, besides sympathy and camaraderie from Victor Bergman, was her deepening friendship with John Koenig. He was on her side, was furious that they had made her a patsy, but he was just as locked in as she had been. Being the Commander of Moonbase Alpha, despite the title, only allowed him so much flexibility - and they were right in the middle of sending astronauts to Meta.

But now, six months later, he was debriefed and back on Earth. Koenig came home to New York and looked her up, appearing from out of nowhere, to stand before Dr. Russell in her workplace lobby. He initially fibbed and said he came in for a check-up but then confessed he wanted to take her to dinner.

It was charming and awkward. She agreed to meet him here at _L'Artusi._ She supposed she should have allowed him to pick her up but, despite her burgeoning feelings for John, she needed to be careful. After all, he had not exactly been diligent in his promise to let her know what was happening on Alpha and their e-mails back and forth, over the last couple months, had dwindle to practically nothing. She knew he was a busy man but could not imagine the drama that was really transpiring on the moon.

Obviously, something had happened to bring him back home so soon. He was supposed to be on the moonbase for a year, overseeing Meta and the new waste storage system. He was a strong-minded man, no nonsense, and John may have stepped on tender toes, she thought.

Helena looked up from her glass, past a throng of men and women dining quietly and happily, and saw John Koenig enter. He was quite dashing in a nice suit, so different from their moonbase uniforms, and allowed a young woman to take his coat and umbrella. The hostess pointed to where she was sitting and he smiled, catching her eye.

As John approached, Helena lifted a hand, and said: "Good to see you again, Commander."

He grasped her fingers gently as he sat across from Helena. He murmured, " _Commander_ no more." a little sadly but not necessarily regretful.

"And that is a story worth hearing." She squeezed his hand and pulled away as the waitress brought them menus and took Koenig's drink order.

Later, waiting on their food, John gazed at Helena, "You really do look lovely. I think Earth agrees with you."

"Thank you." She smiled, warmed by the compliment, but her expression was enquiring. "Now, tell me why you are here and not on Alpha."

He nodded, sitting back a bit in his chair, and sighed gently. "They sent Victor back to London, against my wishes, weeks ago but would not tell me the reason why. When I tried to get answers from Victor he was evasive."

"Space Commission pulled him from the moon?"

"Simmonds had a large hand in it."

"But why?" Helena was genuinely surprised.

"He was working closely with the other scientists on the nuclear storage units. He told me something was not right. The new containers seemed flawed in some way. But, before he could pull all his facts and figures together he was ordered back to Earth. Space Commission said he was needed elsewhere. I was told the other scientists had the matter well in hand and Victor was given a wonderful commendation for taking care of the initial waste container issue."

Helena was quiet, waiting for the other shoe to fall.

Instead their supper arrived and, while they ate, the couple engaged in less heavy talk, chatting about her job, the weather, and even how - after months on Alpha - it was nice to eat real Italian cuisine, consume wine, and drink freshly perked coffee.

Still, even as they spoke of such mundane things, Helena sensed there was something troubling John Koenig, a fear he had yet to speak of, and it made Helena nervous. She watched him as the dishes were cleared and the waitress asked them if they would like dessert. Both declined but did accept another cup of coffee.

Over her cup, Helena whispered: "John, what happened? Why are you here on Earth?"

He looked about furtively then leaned in a little closer to her. "Helena, I suspect no changes were made to the containers. All of Victor's recommendations were scrapped. The powers that be are using the same waste containers as before, only slightly modified, and are putting them back in the ground."

Helena gulped slightly, "Are they mad?" she said aloud but low enough only for John to hear. "Don't they realize what could still happen?"

"It comes down to expense, as it always does, and Space Commission believes the simple modifications Simmonds okayed are enough. I'm sure he gave them a great speech and promised the world." Koenig's jaw set and he looked past Helena, remembering. "I vehemently opposed the idea and when I sent my own reports to Space Commission …" he paused, "I knew my days were numbered."

"Who did they get to replace you?" Helena asked, hoping but knowing better.

"Who do you think?"

"They brought back Gorsky?"

"None other."

"Damn." Angered, Helena pushed her coffee cup away and sat back in her chair.

Despite himself, Koenig liked how she looked at this moment, exasperated. There was a certain beauty in her frustration. Helena was on his side, the side of good common sense, and regardless of the situation John was warmed by her expression. She was frightened, angered, and saddened by the waste of it all. How many good men would be dismissed before a true irreversible disaster happened?

And Gorsky. He was an administrator, a man that was the next best thing to a faithful dog, sitting on Gerald Simmonds lap. The whole situation was ridiculous.

Taking an in-draw of breath, Helena calmed herself and looked again at John, grasping his passive but heavy demeanor. She asked: "What will _you_ do now?"

He smiled, "Financially, I'm sound. I might not be Alpha's Commander but I'm still being paid for it. Still have six months on my contract and there was no truly good reason for my removal. You should have heard Alan when he discovered I was leaving …"

Helena blinked. She had nearly forgotten about Alan and the rest of the astronauts who were about to approach Meta. How many months were left. Two?

"He wanted me there to talk them down once they approached orbit. Knowing he was going to get his orders from Commander Gorsky did not go over well." John shrugged slightly, "Still, he's a smart pilot, and in a situation like this knows when to keep his mouth closed."

Helena nearly chuckled her sarcasm, "Compliant but only because he and the lives of his mates are at stake."

"Simmonds isn't that big of a fool. He knows how important Meta is and keeping Carter and his crew happy will fulfill the mission. He wants me to come back as Meta comes into view, to give the astronauts final instructions."

"From Earth?"

"As far as I know."

"And you agreed?"

He did not answer, sipping from his coffee cup, but Helena understood. John was really invested in the Meta mission. He wanted to be a part of it despite his own demotion. She reached across the table and took his hand as a sign of empathy. After all, they had something in common. Both were discarded, in the most impolite way, by Space Commission.

* * *

He drove her home, to a nice apartment complex in one of the better areas of Manhattan. As he drove, John told her he wanted them to go out again soon. "This time," he said, "No work talk. We are going to keep it fun."

Days later, they went to a play together. It was a mystery comedy that both enjoyed a great deal. That weekend they had a picnic and took a romantic carriage ride around Central Park. The following week John invited Helena up to see his penthouse.

It was a quick courtship, something which was comfortable and natural, and shortly – knowing it would happen sooner or later – the couple, friends on Alpha but freed from whatever restraints their titles demanded, John and Helena became lovers.

Theirs was a passionate and affectionate relationship. Both were happy in each other's company but they always felt a little nervous, as if sensing something unforeseeable was on the horizon. Were they over-thinking Moonbase Alpha, the waste containers, and what their lack of presence on the moon could mean?

One evening while at John's, sitting on the floor together in front of his large fireplace, Koenig received a phone call from Victor Bergman. The conversation started off casually enough, the Professor delighted that he and Helena had made a connection, but soon the dialogue took on a grave tone.

"I've been called back to Moonbase Alpha, John. They are having some trouble up there."

Both John and Helena looked at one another, alarmed but controlled.

Koenig kept his tone light, wondering if someone was listening in on their exchange. From the way he spoke Victor seemed to think so or he would be more direct with his friend. It felt a little foolish to feel so paranoid, but he would not put it passed Simmonds to monitor them without permission. "Well, I'm sure it's not anything you can't take care of, Victor."

"Thank you, John. I hope you are right."

"Good luck to you. Keep me posted – if you can."

"I will. Goodbye, John."

There was an odd finality to that that made John even more nervous.

As Professor Bergman disconnected, John could have sworn he heard a double click. He laid the receiver down in its cradle and looked at Helena who was staring up at him with wide, slightly glossy, and expressive eyes.

He held her in his arms as they watched the flames before them.

"I love you, John" she murmured.

"I love you too." He replied, gently rubbing a hand up and down her back.

A day later he asked Helena to marry him. He was overjoyed when she agreed and they set a date.

* * *

 _To Be Continued …._


	2. Chapter 2

(2)

They were a man and woman of conscience. Therefore, despite their bliss, the prospect of relishing a new life together, they were worried. However, John Koenig and Helena Russell kept their minds occupied. Neither wanted to think about what was happening on the moon so they masked their apprehension by concentrating on the wedding.

The couple wanted something nice but not too dazzling. It was the second marriage for both and while, for them, it was momentous they wanted only a few close friends and loved ones attending both the ceremony and reception.

"I wish Victor could come." Helena murmured over an RSVP from a close family friend. She sat on the longer of two sofas - legs extended - wearing a comfortable turtleneck, dark slacks, and white socks. In their living area, she looked over at John to where he was cooking in their open kitchen. She had moved into his penthouse, it being the larger of their two homes, and was delighted with its bigger closets and an attached laundry and utility room. Both were hard to find in Manhattan these days and if you did it was because you had the means to make it happen.

"Me too." he said without elaboration.

A couple days later they were strolling through a few of the finer bakeries, those which featured exceptional wedding cakes, and were please to sample a few selections. The reception was proving a bit more difficult to plan than the actual marriage, but they were enjoying a delicious and brief respite, even with the pitfalls.

When they returned to their home that evening, somewhat disheveled but happy, a message was waiting. The video-phone call was blinking and, thinking it was probably another RSVP or two for the wedding, John picked it up as Helena dropped some packages into their bedroom. It was Gerald Simmonds and his tone was deceptively jovial: "John … I hope you are well. Congratulations are in order. We have heard of your recent engagement. " Then his tone grew slightly more strained, "However, your expertise is needed again, Commander."

Koenig winced at the title but continued to listen as Helena rounded a corner and stood behind him, eyes wide and manner uneasy. As Simmonds continued to speak he felt a slender hand rest on his right shoulder.

"John, I know you may feel a bit slighted, your discharge given so quickly and without warning. But believe me when I say I fought for you. Alpha, in my opinion, never had a better Commander." His tone lowered slightly, taking on a timbre of humbleness. "But matters have escalated on the moonbase, John. I know we were not going to contact you until the probe approached Meta but – there is a problem there and we need you now. It's vital, John, or I would not demand … _ask_ you to make such a sacrifice. I know you were to wed in a couple weeks …."

John could hear Helena breathing agitatedly behind him and he raised his own hand to touch hers on his shoulder.

"Contact my office and we will have a plane waiting for you first thing tomorrow morning. The contract is already written. You will be off to the moon, a Commander once more and with a substantial pay raise, in one of our fastest Eagles." Then, as if it was a forgone conclusion, Simmonds nearly chuckled: "We will get you back to New York and your lovely future wife before you know it. I'll be waiting to hear from you, John."

Koenig stared at the blanked screen for a few moments and felt Helena's fingers slip from his shoulder and hand. They wanted him back on Alpha and he could not believe it. Part of him was furious. The audacity! Simmonds declaring he did not have a hand in his dismissal was ludicrous. Then, to simply expect him to drop everything, including Helena, and return … It was insulting.

However, John Koenig could get passed all that, even tell the Commissioner to pound sand, except for one or two things. It was a chance to return to the moon, his childhood love! And Alpha wasn't just a workplace to him. Its construction, design, and success had taken up a great part of his life.

But more than that, returning to the moonbase involved Meta. John feared failure for the mission and, remembering his suspicion about the nuclear containers housed beneath the moon, he also feared for the entire safety of Alpha. Again, it was what Simmonds was not saying, could _not_ say, that scared him most.

"You should go." Helena whispered behind him.

"What?" he turned to look at her, stunned. He thought for sure she would be thoroughly against it. If the tables were turned he would be disappointed that Helena would even contemplate the idea.

"Alpha needs you, John. The men and women up there needed you when you stopped what could have been a devastating nuclear explosion and they need you now. Something more than Meta is happening up there." She mimed to the sky and space beyond it. "We both know it. _And_ I know you well enough to know that if something terrible happens you will never forgive yourself for staying uninvolved when you had the chance to do something."

The voice of reason. A declaration of understanding and love.

He stared at her for a moment, watching as unshed tears welled within her eyes. "I can't just leave you, Helena." He stepped forward a few paces and took her in his arms. "No." he cleared his throat. "There are many fine men or women that can take the Command position from Gorsky and I …"

Helena pulled back from him and looked up at John, nearly pleading. "Victor is up there, John. Why do you think they called him back? And, now that I think about it, why did _he_ call us just before he left? He did not have to. I'm beginning to think he was trying to tell you something urgent." Helena gently touched his dark hair then drew a line downward and cupped Koenig's left cheek, "John, I do love you and I am going to miss you while you are gone but – "She attempted to make the moment slightly brighter, " … like the Commissioner said. You won't be up there forever. Then, once you've taken care of the problem or problems - you'll soon be home and we _will_ get married."

"I don't want to wait."

It was her turn to look surprised, "What?"

"If I'm going to be the Commander of Moonbase Alpha, if Simmonds wants me back on Alpha that much, then I'm going to have negotiating power."

"Whatever do you mean, John?"

"Do you trust me, Helena?"

"You know I do but ..."

He leaned forward, gave her a quick kiss on the lips, then got to work.

* * *

She was on the plane, sitting beside him when they pulled into the airport. It had been a long flight and they were picked up in a darkly windowed official looking vehicle. It brought the couple to Space Commission's main offices. They were ushered into a room with a long table, where three men – one being Simmonds – waited with a document that merely needed Koenig's signature to make his reinstatement official.

As they sat, Koenig stared at the impressive monogrammed pen that was laying on the table before him. But he did not immediately pick it up. He waved a hand at a man who was obviously a lawyer and he pushed the document in front of Koenig. John then picked up the contract and started to read to himself.

"John, it's the same agreement as before." Simmonds said, slightly impatient. "Only your salary has been changed." He then paused when the pending Commander seemed to be weighing a few matters in his mind. Simmonds looked to where Helena sat. She had a curious half smile on her face. She was not looking at the paperwork or at John. She was looking directly at him and it made Simmonds a little anxious. However, he would not show his nervousness, even though he suspected the two were in collusion. "Do you want more compensation, Koenig?" Simmonds finally asked. "We can arrange for it."

"No, the money is fine." He said calmly, still reading.

"Where is _my_ contract?" Helena suddenly asked.

"Your inclusion was at the last minute, Doctor." The man beside Simmonds said. "It should be here at any moment. The document was just drawn up last night." He was a Space Commission representative and his smile was practiced. "It will be wonderful for Moonbase Alpha to have the two of you return. Medical Center, from what I understand, sincerely missed your presence, Dr. Russell."

"Koenig." She replied, "We were married by a Justice of the Peace before we boarded the plane at Kennedy."

"Congratulations …"

Helena continued, "You realize, though, that I will not be CMO of Medical Center, although it's been offered. Dr. Mathias is a completely capable Chief. I am merely on Alpha to be with my husband and, of course, to advise on life support, psychiatry, and medicine where needed." Helena's eyes never wavered until Simmonds spoke.

"At a hefty price, I might add." The Commissioner commented sternly but his expression immediately appeared contrite, "But worth every penny."

"Thank you." Helena spoke coolly as her own contract was brought in.

Koenig laid the official document down and made a move to pick up the pen but then his hand rested beside it, unmoving. He leaned back in the chair and looked at Simmonds and the other men as Helena read through her information.

"Well?" Simmonds asked, unsure what was stopping him from signing.

"One more item needs to be added and made clear."

"And that is?"

"I have unconditional control, Simmonds. If you want me to be Commander I'm there until the job gets done. No one replaces me until I'm ready to go AND I do not want anyone coming in, telling me and my people how things should be done when we – _as your experts_ – know exactly what we are doing." Carefully, John pushed the contract over to where the lawyer waited. He watched as the man looked from the contract to Simmonds, as if asking if he should write up an addendum.

Helena looked up from her contract, satisfied. She then held the pen in her signing-hand, waiting for his reply. If John did not sign she would not either.

Knowing he had little choice, Simmonds nodded. "Agreed."

Under the table Helena took one of John's hands in her own and squeezed it triumphantly.

* * *

They, and their luggage, were taken to a space port where an Eagle waited for them. It was only after they changed clothes, now wearing fresh Alphan uniforms, Koenig with a Commander's black sleeve and Helena – like Bergman before her – with sleeves of no color - that Commissioner Simmonds filled them in.

He told Koenig that Alpha had lost contact with Meta and, even worse, the crew of the probe. "It's been over a week, John. We have not heard a word from them. Gorsky is a fool under such pressure. We need _you_ to find answers." he urged.

John and Helena looked at one another, stunned but not altogether surprised that they were being sent into another disaster. "Does Professor Bergman have any answers?" Koenig asked.

The Commissioner's hesitation before replying should have warned them that things on the moon could get worse. Much, much worse.

"Victor Bergman is currently in Medical Center. He is in critical condition."

* * *

 **Chapter 3 Coming Soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

(3)

He looked at her as she sat beside him in the Eagle. Helena's blond head was tilted ever so slightly in the high-backed seat, the face currently unburdened, eyes closed. The gentle but unbroken breathing told him she was asleep. John could not blame her. They both needed rest before starting not so new jobs on the moon. He wondered how Helena was going to take to not having the final decision in what was once her Medical Center.

The last two days had been a whirlwind of wedding ceremony and reception cancellation notices, a sudden and very sincere but rather unromantic marriage, form signings of all kinds, plane flights, uniform fittings, briefings - and so many questions from space agencies, military-types, and psychologists to make their heads spin.

Then they, and their luggage, were on an Eagle racing to the moon.

Koenig remembered being put through a similar regimen when he initially became Commander of Moonbase Alpha, everyone wanting to make sure he wasn't going to crack-up halfway through his tour of duty. He was also certain Helena had been placed through the same routine months before, making her dismissal from Alpha, partly because she was not mentally up for the challenge (her first husband having died in space) absurd. They knew she was competent and probably more rationally sound than most would be in her position. Even more than his own dismissal, Koenig would always hold a grudge against those, Simmonds particularly, who discharged Helena when she was one of the few people who really knew what was going on in the moonbase.

Still, in a sense they both got their "revenge". They were needed on Alpha and Koenig suspected everything done to them – all the I's dotted and Ts crossed – were for show rather than necessity. If Meta, or more importantly the nuclear waste program on Alpha, crashed and burned the blame would be placed squarely on Koenig's shoulders this time and, to be truthful, he wanted it no other way.

However, he had it written up very clearly in his contract that if there was no other way out of the mess brought on before he could clear it up, Commander Koenig's eventual release would be treated with respect. He did not want the family name dragged through the mud should any potential children he and Helena had decided to become involved with the space program as adults. He remembered Helena looking over at him when she read that part of his and her contracts. They had not talked about children. He suspected she really did not expect them to be in their future but, he noted, Helena could not help a little smile as she signed off on the paperwork.

And now here they were, speeding through space to work on his beloved moon again. Yet, this time seemingly without his friend and mentor, Professor Bergman. He did not know how bad off Victor was, how sick he had become, but remembering the infected astronauts placed on critical before they had the confirmed diagnosis of brain damage brought on by magnetic radiation, he could only imagine his condition.

"Commander Koenig." A face popped onto the screen before him. The Eagle pilot, Kelly, spoke: "We will be docking shortly."

"Thank you."

* * *

As the travel tube took them into Alpha, Helena reached over and placed one of her hands of Koenig's, squeezing gently. She could see how thoughtful he was and was sure, even if he denied it, that many emotions were bubbling inside his intelligent mind. Still, words did not need to be spoken. They were walking into a lion's den yet again and, despite promises made by Space Commission and all the other authorities on Earth, Alpha's Commander was in for the fight of his life. If he was going to find out what happened to the Meta probe and make sure the storage containers on the moon were as sound as assured, he would need to act quickly and without a back-up from Earth.

Now, at least, he had more latitude than allowed the first time Koenig commanded the moonbase. Helena was pleased about that. Her husband really could and most likely would make a difference on the moon - and on Earth as well. A selfish part of her suddenly began to wonder if having children with him was not such a bad idea. He was a father any child could look up to. When they returned to Earth it may be a subject worth discussing.

When the tube stopped and the door parted, they were greeted by Paul Morrow. Without ceremony but appearing a little more relieved than either had ever seen him, the tall and lean Controller handed over both Koenig and Helena's comlocks. "Good to see you again. We have a lot of work to do."

It was an odd greeting and John glanced at Helena.

She nodded. Apparently, things were as bad as they thought.

He again looked at Morrow, "Is Commander Gorski still here?"

"No sir." Paul's mustache twitched a little, somewhat annoyed by his mention. "He left on the last transport Eagle, along with a few other Alphans that had finished their tours, about an hour ago." His eyes met Koenig's, "You are most welcome, Commander."

It was no secret that Gorski had few friends on the moonbase. His brand of leadership was uncompromising to what he considered underlings and he agreed with everything Space Commission suggested. Gorski seldom made an independent decision, which Commissioner Simmonds loved but the rest in Main Mission loathed.

And, on a personal note for Koenig, Helena had told him early on that Gorski made a pass at her. Disliking her rejection, he made life on the moonbase very difficult for its CMO. Now married to the woman, Koenig doubted very much, If the opportunity arrived, that the two Commanders would greet one another cordially.

"They need you in Medical Center, Doctor." Paul told Helena. "We will have your luggage taken to your quarters and …" Morrowl paused a moment, " … congratulations on your marriage." he added rather awkwardly.

This allowed for a brief chuckle from all, despite the gravity of the moment.

"Yes, I want to check on Professor Bergman." Helena said, looking up at John, knowing it was on his mind as well. Still, the Commander was needed in Main Mission before he could focus on personal wants. "I'll get a bead on what's going on, John." She told him.

"I'll be by the M.C. later today." He told her and smiled mildly as Helena parted from them. He then looked at Morrow, slapped him gently on the shoulder, and said: "Let's go."

* * *

Main Mission was as active as it ever was during his previous command of the base. He'd been away for mere months but it seemed like years if the expressions on the faces of his personnel were any indication. Sandra Benes practically danced a jig as he shook her hand. Tanya received him with a hardy "Welcome back, Commander!" and David Kano, their computer expert who Koenig met briefly a few weeks into his command, seemed just as pleased by his appearance.

It probably would have been appropriate for the Commander to go to his office and settle-in first but John was not one to waste time. He leaned over one of the consoles and addressed his Main Mission crew. "What can you tell me about Meta? What was the last signal you received from it and the probe astronauts?" It had a great psychological affect. Their Commander was back and taking control.

Sandra spoke: "Days before we lost contact, Alan Carter said their journey was going well, if maybe a little too routine. They were all a little bored, but space - apart from a few stars - was clear ahead. They could see Meta, a pin prick in the galaxy, and that excited them."

"Did they send pictures?"

"Yes." Sandra's finger-tips pushed a few buttons and she brought up the recorded feed Alan sent over.

It was, indeed, a small shining light in the darkness of space. As an astronaut himself, John could appreciate how the crew must have felt when first seeing Meta, all those billions of miles of space travel, to reach such a moment. No, he knew, it was not authentic contact but they assumed at the time that interaction with the planet was only a few weeks away.

Sandra continued, "While they were capturing this video the signals with Meta were coming in strong with no breaks."

"Then what happened?"

Kano spoke: "Not long after, signals with Meta started to break-up for us here on Alpha. Alan told us they were still getting a strong feed on the probe. Computer confirmed that the Meta probe was safe and the signal distortion from the planet was an anomaly, possibly sun spots. Commander Gorski told us to monitor it closely and if there were any unusual changes to let him know."

"And there were changes?"

"Not right away." Morrow said. "But soon after we lost contact with Alan. He told us they were all safe but their scientist, Professor Mueller, detected a strong surge of an unspecified energy radiating from Meta."

"Radiation?" Koenig wondered, aloud.

"He did not say specifically." Morrow shook his head slowly back and forth, "But we lost complete contact after that communication. Honestly Commander, we're not certain what is going on with the probe or on Meta."

"it is a true mystery." Kano murmured.

Koenig looked at Kano, "But computer confirms they are all alive?"

"Yes. Medical Center is monitoring them. They detect heightened respiration, not uncommon under the circumstances, but we simply cannot communicate with them."

"How long before they are to land on Meta?" Koenig asked Morrow.

"Six days and thirteen hours."

Thinking, considering a few options, Koenig said: "Keep trying to connect with them. Send them signals. Go through the full spectrum. Let them know we are still trying to contact them even if it's simply by code." A little quieter he said, "If they are hearing any of it they will know, if nothing else, that we have not abandoned them."

Meanwhile, as well as checking on the scrutinized Meta probe astronauts, he needed to check on a friend in Medical Center.

* * *

Helena paused at the double doors, looking at the moniker that stated, without a doubt, that this was Medical Center. She could have found the place blindfolded. Yet, it still felt a little eerie and unfamiliar. Who would have ever thought she would be back on Alpha and preparing to enter what she considered a home away from home for so many months?

Nervous, Helena took in a deep breath before entering.

Familiar sights and sounds greeted her. Yes, it really was like coming home again. She saw some nurses and an orderly in the distance, holding clipboards and talking amongst themselves. She could hear the familiar sounds of monitors and medical instruments but also a couple of new machines possibly brought up from Alpha's technical department. Was Dr. Mathias conducting an experiment or two?

Helena gave a cursory glance at their patients, reclined blanketed forms in identical beds, suspecting she would get a better view of them later. She supposed these men were not too terribly ill or they would not be so displayed. Yet, having thought of this, she was anxious to see Victor Bergman. No doubt he was in critical care and her eyes strayed to where the unit was located.

"Dr. Russell!" A familiar voice called. Helena looked to her left and saw Dr. Mathias approaching, "Or Dr. Koenig. I heard about your marriage."

She noted the change to his identification badge, placing him as Alpha's CMO. Bob appeared fine if a little tired. "I'm sure everyone did." Helena replied and lifted a hand to take his, "Good to see you again. Honestly."

"You too. I'm just sorry …" he trailed off, "I never felt what happened to you was right, Helena. You know that, don't you?"

"Thank you, Bob. That means a lot for me to hear you say it. However," The natural warmth left her voice and she became a professional, effectively dispensing with the topic. "I know things are happening here and you must be over-worked. Just let me know what I can do; how I can help."

Mathias nearly cleared his throat at her attempt at equanimity. "Let's not fool ourselves, Doctor. I may be CMO of this medical unit but you know more about space medicine and the inner workings of an operating theater than I will ever understand. When I heard you were returning I was more than happy to step aside and let you reclaim your position – and was stunned when it was confirmed that you were here as an advisor."

"Bob, I …"

"Let me finish." He lifted a hand and gently placed it on her right shoulder, "Doctor, I'm good and I've been on this base off and on for over the last five years – but I am out of my league here. I have three patients back there, " He indicated the intensive care ward, "And I am out of options. Helena, I am no closer to figuring out what is happening than you did when this sort of thing was happening during your stretch as CMO."

"Magnetic radiation?" Helena asked.

"I was worried about that too." His hand dropped from her shoulder, "But it makes no sense. The first of these men became ill after the storage units were dispersed. There was no build-up therefore no reason for him to become ill."

"What about the other two?"

"After they started the program again with the new containers. But we've gone over the areas again and again. There is NO radiation, magnetic or otherwise. Honestly, we do not know what is making these men ill."

Helena remembered her own aggravation when there were no answers to difficult questions. "May I see them?" She paused, "Professor Bergman is amongst them, right? He's in critical condition according to Commissioner Simmonds."

Mathias was about to speak when the rustle of a sheet was heard beside Helena, from one of the beds, and a man wearing his usual blue pajamas but not appearing as ill as claimed sat up. Bob waved his hand in an attention getting 'Look' gesture toward the man.

"Don't say that, Doctor. I just got out of quarantine."

Helena's face lit up, "Victor!" She quickly crossed to him.

Professor Bergman was alive and looked quite well.

"Admittedly," he said, "It was touch and go there for awhile but I never came down with the same symptoms as poor Dreardon or Hawthorne. But, then again, I wasn't out on the surface for as long as they …"

Just as he said these words the Medical Center doors parted and John Koenig walked in. His expression, which started out dour, quickly perked up when he saw his friend was speaking to Helena. Both Bergman and Helena lifted hands up to have him join in.

Mathias, knowing when he was not needed, quietly left them to their reunion.

"Victor, it's so good to see you!" Koenig spoke honestly.

"The same for both of you." he beamed.

All three were quiet for a moment.

"We're in trouble though, aren't we?" John asked.

With reluctance, Victor took in both John and Helena and nodded slowly. Yes, they were in a lot of trouble.

* * *

 **Part 4 Coming soon.**


	4. Chapter 4

**(4)**

Although he could be of very little help where the Meta probe was concerned, knowing as little as anyone else as to why Alpha lost contact with the planet and probe, Professor Bergman had a couple of unrelated theories he wanted to pass by the Commander. In this case, it had to do with nuclear waste and why there was apparent radiation sickness where there could not possibility be radioactivity.

"One conjecture is as preposterous as the other." Victor said, still reclined in his bed, with a tired smile. "But worth a listen."

Koenig might have asked him what he had in mind, despite his fatigue, but the Commander received a summons on his comlock, requesting his return to Main Mission. "Get some rest, Victor. We will talk all about it first thing in the morning. I'm calling a meeting." He then looked at the approaching Dr. Mathias, who was holding a hypodermic syringe in this hand. "He can be released tomorrow. Correct?"

"Yes, Commander. After a good rest."

"It will clear your mind for what is ahead." Helena reassured her friend and colleague. "Tomorrow you will be as good as new." She then watched Mathias apply the hypo shot. Smiling but feeling unspoken trepidation, Dr. Russell told the men she was going to observe the ill Eagle pilots. Perhaps she could develop some theories of her own.

* * *

Koenig stretched a little as he walked to his new quarters. Only his first day back on Alpha and his mind and body felt extraordinarily weary.

Briefly, almost imperceptivity, Main Mission thought they received a signal from Alan – even heard a voice that was patently Australian – but it was gone as soon as it was heard. _"We're receiving …."_ Two words was all they could make out. Koenig and his team hoped it was Captain Carter, telling them he was hearing their signals and understood Alpha was attempting - with everything they had in their power - to communicate.

When Koenig entered his quarters, he did so quietly, thinking Helena might already be asleep. However, she was quite awake, wearing pajamas but sitting on the sofa in their living area, papers scattered about on a coffee table. She appeared to be studying something and he wondered if there was a break-through in Medical Center.

"Sorry, no." She said when he asked. "I'm just looking through my old notes and comparing them to the new ones Bob has taken."

"Anything interesting?" he asked.

"Not really. But there are certain astronauts that have been flying over Areas One through Three frequently and I've recommended grounding them. If it's an accumulative affect we do _not_ want these men becoming ill. Dreardon and Hawthorne were clocking too many hours. No wonder they became infected."

"And Victor?"

"Only twice and he was quickly decontaminated. He is lucky."

Thoughtfully, John nodded and moved into their bathroom to wash up and change. Alpha only had so many Eagle crews, men specializing in the maintenance of nuclear waste containers, many who had already made that run more than once. If more exploration or upkeep was needed he might have to do it himself. Helena would hate that idea but, if matters esculated, they might not have a choice.

When he came out of the bathroom John noted that Helena had turned off the common area light and was waiting for him in bed. She folded down the sheet on his side and, looking about, noticed Helena or someone must have already unpacked their luggage and stored the bags in a closet. The framed photo of the two of them at the courthouse, after having wed, was sitting on a side table.

"It's not the penthouse," he commented, crawling into bed. "But it's larger than either of our two quarters last time we worked on Alpha."

"Couples always get larger quarters, particularly if one of them is the Commander of the moonbase." She spoke humorously. Helena turned off the light and they both laid back comfortably, quiet, and thoughtful.

After a moment Koenig said, "This is not the honeymoon I had envisioned for us a few days ago."

"You cannot get much more exotic than the moon, John." She replied, tone practical.

"Maybe. But I think a Mediterranean cruise would be nicer. Let's indulge in one when we get back."

Helena turned over to look at him, taking in her beloved's strong profile in the dim light. He seemed a bit pensive with the heaviness of command and if she did not do something he would not sleep well this evening. Besides, this was the first time they had any alone time together since entering Eagle 6 to come to Alpha. "Do you know what we have _not_ done since we've been married?" Her hand very gently touched the exposed bare skin where his pajama top parted. Helena paused, trying to gauge the expression on his face. It seemed vaguely interested but also somewhat brooding. "But if you're not on the mood or too tired …" Her fingers lifted.

"No … always in the mood and not tired at all." John suddenly smiled and smoothly but quickly took her into his arms. He turned Helena over onto her back and kissed her neck eagerly. Her surprised giggle, its delight at his playfulness, made his heavy heart lighten like nothing else ever could. He needed her and if ever he did anything foolish in his life John Koenig knew the one smart thing he did do was say: "I will." to Dr. Helena Russell.

The couple came together for a sweet, profound, and very much desired kiss. At a time like this, when their and Alpha's future was so uncertain, who needed a fancy penthouse in New York? Or, for that matter, a Mediterranean cruise.

* * *

In the morning he had hoped for good news regarding the Meta probe and its crew but there was nothing fresh to report from Main Mission. There was still no word from Alan or any of the space professionals inside the craft. It was disheartening but Alpha's communications did continue to try. If they heard from them once, as brief as it was, they may be able to reach them again.

But, for now, Koenig had to put Meta on a back burner. There was nothing further he could do for the probe and a threat much closer to home was rearing its ugly head. Mathias reported that astronaut Simon Keith was brought in on a stretcher less than an hour before their meeting. He was showing every sign of magnetic radiation and, like the others, was now in isolation.

Bob asked Helena to attend the meeting in his place while he ran further tests. She agreed but, with an unexpected slap of misplaced expectation, Helena automatically thought she was going to attend the meeting anyway. It suddenly occurred to her that because she was no longer the CMO of Alpha, it would not necessarily be her place to attend such conferences. This was entirely Dr. Mathias duty – not hers. In the future, Helena thought, she would have to remember what she was – an consultant - and not what she felt she should be – in charge.

In attendance were Professor Bergman, appearing energetic and accommodating, David Kano, Paul Morrow and Sandra Benes. The men and women were seated around the white circular table in their Commander's executive office, off to the right of the big room, and – with good reason - they all seemed a little apprehensive.

"I know you have all heard about the astronauts currently in critical care." Koenig said, "It seems Alpha is experiencing a sad form of déjà vu. But this time there are no simple answers. As a matter of fact, the situation is even more dangerous because, it seems, this radiation could not possibly be coming from Areas One, Two, or Three." Koenig then asked, even though he already knew the answer: "Did Commander Gorski have any assumptions as to what was happening before he left?"

Morrow said, "He felt it was a run-off from our original problem and that the radiation levels would dissipate the longer the containers were free from the disposal area. Unfortunately, the astronauts are still becoming ill."

"And when this was not the case," Helena spoke, and tried not to sound bitter. "Did Commander Gorski have another concept, perhaps an idea he could actually back up?"

"No." Kano replied, nearly caustic. "He merely had us do research."

Morrow glanced at Professor Bergman before he added, "Our science department, I feel, was close to finding what was going on but when certain parties started to ask difficult questions they were dismissed by Commander Gorski."

"Why?" Helena asked, confused.

"We're not certain why. He seemed to be in communication with his superiors but later we learned Commander Gorski acted alone. Space Commission could see where he over-stepped his command, especially with the dismissal of Professor Bergman, and that was when he was asked to return to Earth."

"That works into one of my theories." Victor commented, tapping fingers on the table-top and appearing a little sad. "Gorski may have had good reason to keep certain parties from getting too nosey."

John nodded, "The containers. I suspected they were not as retrofitted as Space Commission claimed. If you remember, I was going to …."

"On the contrary, John." Bergman interrupted, "The new containers are fine. I checked them many times myself and they are not just adequate but well-constructed, to last a millennium or more. When it comes time to redeposit them in the ground Alpha should have no further problems."

Koenig suddenly looked perplexed but not hindered, "Go on, Professor."

"Allow me to give you my first theory before I get into it."

Koenig nodded.

"Our moon is not much younger than Earth. We all know it but that makes the satellite very old. Older even than human kind at our very beginning of existence. We now suspect there is life out there in deep space. We would not be sending men to Meta if we did not think we would find life, in whatever form, there …" Victor leaned forward in his chair, "Now what if, long before man, aliens visited Earth and our moon and stored their own version of waste on the moon … A substance so alien our instruments cannot pick up the contamination. We cannot read it because we do not have the ability. Either by accident or design."

"You are saying aliens came and purposely poisoned our moon millions of years ago?" Sandra wondered, appearing somewhat skeptical.

"Possibly." Victor backslid slightly, "Even if our caveman ancestors were alive when they visited, the observation such advanced lifeforms were giving our populace was probably rudimentary. They might not have been able to conceive that such lowly creatures would someday visit their moon. And, if they _did_ believe we would evolve the aliens might have assumed we would know a way to neutralize the threat they place at our doorstep."

Kano said, "Let me get this straight, you think because we are digging deep into the moon surface we are uncovering _alien_ radioactivity?"

"It does make sense in a strange way." Morrow spoke thoughtfully. "This is why none of our instruments or experiments are picking up the fallout. We can only see what we have been educated to identify. If it's too alien for us to pin point how could we possibly know how to combat it? Perhaps, this is why a guilty Meta has ceased to send signals."

"Or why they made themselves known in the first place." Koenig offered.

"If it _is_ Meta, as you are suggesting, then they better get back into contact with us and do it soon." Kano exclaimed, "Or we are all doomed!"

There was a alarming quiet in the room for a count of twenty seconds.

"But If that is _not_ the case," Koenig reminded. "What is your other theory, Victor?"

"I always felt it was a little odd that Commander Gorski appeared to be _hindering_ our attempts to find answers. Admittedly, what we were doing was experimental and expensive – but also vital. No amount of Space Commission telling him we had to cut cost would make a conscientious or even marginally intelligent Commander not believe there was danger if he did not act quickly and logically. It was his job to convince the powers that be that Alpha and Earth was in danger - but he was entirely unwilling to cross that line."

"The symptom of a bad commander." Paul Morrow murmured, bitterly.

"Maybe," Victor continued, "but he was not a stupid man or he would not have become Commander, not matter how much Commissioner Simmonds was pushing him in this direction. Gorski saw and was seeing the sickness and body count." Victor looked at Helena, "Yet, he held your reports and made science on Alpha sound like an annoying hinderance."

"Are you saying he had another agenda, Professor? That he was getting his orders from someplace else?" Sandra asked, looking up from where she was making notes.

"Who were amongst the top countries who were planning to store nuclear waste on the moon – even before Alpha was built?"

"The United States, most of Europe, China … and the Russians." Koenig saw where Bergman was going with his train of thought.

"The Americans may have been the first to land on the moon but the Russians were a very close second and many believe they continued to man secret missions to the moon long after the nineteen sixties and seventies. As a matter of fact, when plans were coming together in the nineteen eighties to build Moonbase Alpha, the Soviets were initially against it – until they were given a promise of inclusion after the war."

"Say it Victor." Koenig wanted to hear his wrap-up out loud.

"I believe long before we started to store waste on the moon – the Russians were doing it without ever notifying any of us of their objective. If I'm right, and if it's as large a deposit as I think, what they were doing was prohibited world-wide and if they were to keep their secret they needed men and women on Moonbase Alpha to make certain it never came to light."

"You are saying, Victor, that there is more undetected nuclear waste buried under the moon?" Helena's eyes were wide but troubled.

"It can't be." Kano nearly shouted in frustration, 'We are not detecting it. How can we not find that much nuclear waste?"

"Because," Koenig conclude, "We are looking in the wrong place."

Bergman nodded slowly, "Somewhere out there in the moon there are more waste containers, nothing ever sanctioned by Space Commission or any of the other world powers after Alpha was designed and built. _And_ if we do not find them – more men are going to die."

"Or worse." Koenig thought aloud and met Helena's frightened eyes. They knew the score. If Victor was right, those containers could be almost anywhere. The moon was a big place and the manpower to search for them would be monumental. They needed to find a correlation, something accurate to pin point the containers and do it quickly or the nuclear waste on the moon, as the Commander had said once, might cause an explosion unlike the world has ever seen!

* * *

 **Chapter 5 coming soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

**(5)**

* * *

They deployed four Eagles, all they could provide during such an emergency, flying north, east, south and west. Koenig had them fixed with devices that would detect magnetic radioactivity. He then told the pilots and co-pilots to keep their eyes open for everything unusual, anything on the surface of the moon that did not look as it should.

"If you see a rock unaccountably turned over or a patch of dirt that seems mysteriously up-turned we want to know about it."

The Commander watched his people from his desk in Main Mission and tried not to look worried as they went about the business of monitoring the Eagles and the surface of the moon. They were a good crew, the professionals Simmons never seemed to fully appreciate, and Koenig was proud of them. Only a few of the operatives did not fully understand what was at stake, yet they knew their jobs and the importance of excellent observation and calculation.

Meanwhile Yolanda Meis, dark haired and spectacled, who manned Stores and Supplies stood beside and spoke with her Commander about a subject that Commander Gorki, she said, was rather indifferent about. "Forty canisters," she told him, "are missing. Commander Gorski said it was a miscalculation, but I cannot see how that is possible."

The nuclear waste containers had all been retrofitted and brought up to code, above standards after Professor Bergman was placed in charge of their fabrication, but Meis became frustrated when so many of them came up missing.

"Did you speak with Professor Bergman about it?"

"I did. He, like I had before him, spoke with Gorski. When the Commander had no wise words for him Professor Bergman went over his head and spoke with Commissioner Simmons."

"And?"

"He did appear more concerned but was sure there was an explanation. Perhaps they were brought in and could not be repaired so they were discarded, he said."

"Seem like a reasonable explanation." Koenig deliberated. He did not want to shelve Meis' concerns but he really had bigger things to worry about right now. "If they could not be repaired they would be destroyed. The canisters, particularly in Area One, had been there for over five years."

"But it makes no sense, Commander. If they were tossed I should know about it. There is no paperwork or computer input on the missing containers. You know how the International Lunar Commission is about back-up paperwork. Yet, it is as if they disappeared into thin air."

Koenig contemplated it for a moment. Victor had not mentioned the missing containers but, with everything that was going on, it might have slipped his mind. He had been placed in quarantine for over a week and he was just happy to see John and Helena back on the job. Koenig asked, "Was this before or after the retrofit?"

"I did not notice them missing until after the overhaul, Commander."

"Okay." Koenig nodded and promised, "I'll look into it, Yolanda. Meanwhile, you and your crew get prepared. I want the nuclear waste transfer to commence tomorrow and, once cleared, the cannisters will be put back into the ground, Area One first, within days."

"Yes, Commander."

* * *

Helena studied the four men, all dying and looking as pale and slack-jawed as Sparkman and Warren had appeared. She felt the same melancholy as when they succumbed. She had failed them. and nine other men, and was on the verge of doing it again. Helena knew Dr. Mathias should be feeling the brunt of this new "virus" but Helena could never quite forgive herself for not coming up with the right answers when they were needed. Yes, she had been right about the unusual brain damage brought on by radioactivity, but it was the type of radiation that had her baffled and where to find it. In that, nothing had changed.

John was trying everything but if she did not find some answers, help Bob pin point the symptoms before the men came down ill, they might all be in serious trouble. At least the Commander had done the right thing and ordered no new nuclear material brought to the moon and, as he had last time they were in this position, no human being was to come to or leave Alpha until the crisis had passed.

No one was happy with the order, particularly Space Commission, but they knew better than to question his orders. They tried that last time and nearly doomed everyone on the moon – not to mention many on Earth. John Koenig had proven he knew what he was doing.

Once again, despite the gravity of their circumstances, Helena smiled mildly - thinking of him. Her husband. It was hard to believe they were newly-weds. She doubted there could be a more unromantic start to a marriage other than what they were currently experiencing. However, he did promise, when matters became a bit clearer, safer, they would spend some quality time together.

But for now, their work was imperative. Helena empathized and walked over to Dr. Mathias' office from the ICU. She watched as he signed off on some official procedures. "Question, Bob."

"Certainly." He looked up at her.

"All of these infected astronauts have been in Areas One through Three?"

"They've all been in Areas Two and Three. Area One is clear. Dreardon and Hawthorn never flew over it or walked around it."

"So, if the Commander wanted to, he could start loading nuclear waste canisters back into Area One without a problem?"

"I suppose. Do you think he will?"

"I know he wants to but he also …" Helena looked over her shoulder. Seeing a nurse doing her rounds outside the office, she used her comlock to shut the door so she and Mathias could have more privacy. "Commander Koenig wants to find, if it exists, where nuclear waste has been concealed."

"The waste Professor Bergman thinks the Russians have hidden somewhere?" Mathias nodded, recalling how Helena had filled him in on Victor's theories. He sighed, "I know Gorski would not be able to oversee such a secret by himself but I also know most of the men and women on Alpha, Helena. I've given them physicals and mental exams. I have a hard time believing we might have a _spy_ here on the moon."

"Not just one. There could be many."

Again, Mathias sighed. This time at the enormity of Helena's remark.

But a thought came to Helena after hearing herself make the comment. "Bob, did Gorski request any new hiring went he came back as Commander?"

"Two that I am aware of. An Italian technician and a Swiss Eagle pilot. Rossi and Horvat. I remember them because they came up in the Eagle with him."

"May I see their records?"

"Of course." Mathias tapped a few buttons on his console and watched as a printer beside Helena gave her the information she desired, "What are you pondering, Doctor?" he asked.

"It may be nothing but I'm going to do a little research. What these do not tell me I'm sure computer will."

"Good luck." He watched her as she left Medical Center, read-outs in hand.

* * *

They met for a late supper, both hungry after a busy day, partaking in a private little grotto in one of Alpha's dining halls. The couple came together for a quick kiss, then sat down as they were served Alpha's version of steak and potatoes.

"They've gotten better." Helena admitted, stabbing her fork at a few cooked carrots on her plate.

The kitchens on Moonbase Alpha learned long go that they needed to be self-sufficient. They very seldom received fresh meat and starches from Earth, because of the expense of such deliveries, so they learned to develop their own. While Alpha did not have a herd of cattle in their storage room they did have the makings of a tasty protein based meat-like substances that was the envy of many popular restaurants home on Earth. Besides that, they worked in tandem with Alpha's hydroponics section, which was always coming up with something new and appetizing. The one thing the people of Alpha did know was that they were eating healthily, the base having employed three certified dietitians to make sure calories, fats, proteins and everything else the men and women devoured was above expectation.

The couple spoke about their day, how Main Mission was not just hunting down potential hidden nuclear waste but the frustration at not hearing anything further from the Meta probe.

"John, do you think Alan and his crew are all right?"

"We know they're alive but we do not know what is going on in that spacecraft. If we could at least get a signal from them I'd feel much better." He watched as she thoughtfully pushed some potatoes around on her plate. "Anything more on the astronauts?"

"No cure but … Did you know Gorski had a new pilot and technician come up with him when he replaced you?"

"No." Koenig sliced through his steak and took a small bite, "I suppose it was time for some new blood up here, considering how many men died during the emergency."

"Maybe. But were they necessary? Through my research I discovered he also specifically requested Tia Murphy, an American engineer, and Erik Sorenson, a Canadian mechanic specializing in energy emissions. This was before you initially took over as Commander."

"I don't see the connection, Helena."

"Me neither. Not yet. But I do know that we have detailed reports on every person stationed on this base. Yet, all of Gorski's people …" She paused, noting how John was looking at her. He appeared both interested but also amused. "What?" she asked.

"Beyond the call of duty, Doctor. That's all."

Helena chuckled, as did he. "I suppose but someone has to look into these irregularities."

"Go on."

"Anyway, seeing as how Commander Gorski appeared to not make friends easily on Alpha I thought it odd that he had his favorites, experts he wanted on the base, from allover the globe. Yet, he never seemed to work with them closely. Almost as if he or they wanted it that way."

"Or were making it look that way." They met each other's eyes over the table, reading each other's thoughts. "What was different in their profiles?"

"There just wasn't much there. All the necessary information was listed, enough to get them on the moonbase, but nothing as deep as families, motivations, and even their psychiatric profiles are sketchy."

"Why do you think that is?" he asked, curious.

She spoke quietly, leaning over the table. "I'm not sure. But if Victor's theory about the Russians placing nuclear waste on the moon before it was made safe – or relatively safe – is true I wonder if these men and woman might be here for more than filling Alpha's typical job prerequisite."

He stared at her for a moment. "Keep looking into it, Helena." He said, seriously.

Smiling gently, Helena reached over the table and took one of his hands in hers. "Yes Commander, dear, I will."

* * *

 **Chapter 6 Coming Soon.**


	6. Chapter 6

**(6)**

Dr. Russell called Tia Murphy away from her station in the engineering department of Moonbase Alpha. She had been helping the section head, Merrick Botha, with some ground level testing and was not too keen on the interruption. Helena could tell she was agitated by the way she sat in the reclined examination chair in Medical Center, legs stiffly together and hands twitching as they rested on her abdomen.

"Really Doctor, could this not wait for a few more days?" she asked as Helena stood before her, clipboard in hand. "After all, we have so much work to do right now."

"You are so right." Helena spoke smoothly. "And that is why it is so important for the medical unit to know that you are in the right frame of mind."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Tia asked, an expression of suspicion evident as she looked up at the medical advisor.

 _'_ _A little too suspicious.'_ Helena thought. She had pulled Tia's name first while examining the files Dr. Mathias printed for her. Computer confirmed that Miss Murphy had been hastily engaged and assigned to Alpha, although very little of her background suggested she would be a prime candidate for the job. Indeed, she was an engineer. But it seemed odd that a woman as young as she was had managed to earn a Masters Degree and then had taken up an apprenticeship with two rather none descript professors in Minnesota, men evidently skilled in the sciences. Something did not seem right. "I know it's inconvenient, but we have some concerns about your mental health."

"What? Is my competence being questioned?"

"Not at all. But there was no psychiatric profile to speak of in your record. Everyone from the Commander of the moonbase to a janitor assigned to Alpha needs to have a psychological screening." Helena studied the woman as she spoke. Tia appeared a little too edgy, as if she was less inclined to have Helena pry into her mind than having bamboo sticks stuck beneath her fingernails. "It shouldn't take long."

Gulping ever so slightly the young woman acquiesced.

With a nod, Helena began to ask her question after question, gauging the engineer's reactions and coming to some rather interesting conclusions. If Sorensen, Rossi, and Horvat had similar results the correlation John was talking about could be a moon surface inspection away.

* * *

"Alan, we are reading you! Can you hear us?"

Koenig practically sprang from his chair the moment Sandra called to him in his office, stating communication was restored with the Meta probe. She had been premature in her enthusiasm, however, because all the Commander could hear as he leaned over Morrow's console was annoying static.

He had been talking with Victor Bergman about mounting the new canisters, listening to the Professor's approach on the loading of the nuclear waste, and how they could be certain the ceals would not be breached. John wanted to ask him about Yolanda Meis and the missing containers but they were interrupted by what might be potential good news.

"Moonbase Alpha to Meta probe. Are you receiving us?" Paul Morrow called.

"Commander, we heard from Alan – briefly." Kano reported, "He said something about a miscalculation."

"They're in danger?"

"We're not sure." Kano appeared confused. "He seemed quite calm when he called to us but they may be off track."

"I have it." Sandra tuned in the static-filled message. "This is what we heard, Commander."

 _"_ _Meta probe … Professor K… under sedation … Meta signal miscalculation … New directive …."_ Carter's voice reported.

"That is all, Commander."

"New directive." Professor Bergman pondered. "It makes little sense but at least we know they are alive and well."

"With the exception of Professor Kilgore." Morrow noted. "Was Alan saying they had to put him under sedation? I know the man as level-headed and scholarly."

"I know him as well." said Victor, "And that is a fair description."

Koenig verbalized his own thoughts, "What concerns me is 'Meta signal miscalculation'. Was Alan telling us our calculations were off? They should be approaching the planet by now. Did they somehow miss their target?"

"Everything was checked and triple checked, Commander." Kano said.

"And Alan is far too good of a pilot not to adjust where necessary." Koenig further considered, "Computer is getting its computations and routing from the Meta signal we were receiving. We expect life to be there but what if Meta's inhabitance decided, upon seeing the probe's approach, they wanted nothing to do with Earth men?"

Victor placed a hand to the back of his neck and appeared pained. "You think they scrambled the signal, John?"

"Sending the Meta probe off in a direction they may never return from?" Sandra spoke worriedly.

"But why would they send us the signals in the first place if they had no desire to meet us?" Morrow wondered.

Professor Bergman nodded, "Why, indeed."

A loud blip was heard from Morrow's console and as he read the information imparted his eyes darted to Main Mission's Big Screen. "Commander, we are receiving a large magnetic flare up near Area 3!"

All eyes were now focused on the image before them, an odd smoking seeming to come from the moon's surface, then the camera failed.

"Is it hot?" Koenig questioned.

"Not according to Computer!" Kano called.

Koenig knew what he had to do. This new crisis needed a human element, something an empty Main Mission propelled Eagle could not examine and relay. He was going out there.

* * *

She had been on her way to Main Mission with reports and suggestions regarding Gorski's crewmen, when she saw John race from their center of operation on his way to a travel tube. "John?!" Helena called, alarmed by the look of urgency on his face.

"No time, Helena. We are detecting activity in Area Three." He stepped into the travel tube. "I need to check it out."

"And you're going by yourself?"

"Have to."

Helena felt a cold prickle of dread at the back of her skull. This moment reminded her all too clearly of that moment when this same Commander rushed off for a reconnaissance that nearly got him killed. "John, it's dangerous!" What did she tell him in the aftermath of that ill-timed investigation? They did not need heroes? And his bitter response … "You have a work force at your disposal, John, and …"

"I can't ask them to do something I'm not willing to do myself. Trust me, Helena. I'll be back soon!"

She was about to say something more, tell him he was acting irrationally, when the travel tube doors sliced shut. Helena could feel her teeth shatter, a terrible sense of helplessness and doom pervading her senses. She clutched the file to her chest and felt a primal urge to cry out.

That was not only the base's commander walking directly into danger but also her husband, the man she loved. Damn him and his sense of imperviousness! If he survived this one she just might kill him herself.

Then, gaining control and knowing where she had to be, as the Commander had before her, Helena quickly made her way to Main Mission.

* * *

He knew Helena would be furious with him but now, wearing a space suit and feeling the Eagle controls under his hands, John Koenig could not help but enjoy the moment, as perilous as it was. He hadn't flown for far too long. Sometimes he did not think Helena or any person who had never glided through space, was in control of a spaceship, could truly understand how invigorating it was for a man to do was he was born to do. Alan Carter would understand, John thought, and he hoped one day he would be reunited with the accomplished pilot and ask him what it was like to be so close to Meta, flying through space in their probe ship, and knowing he would be a part of space history.

John reconsidered. Perhaps he was being unfair but he saw that look in her eyes. John remembered it from a time before, something he had nearly forgotten, but recalling the aftermath when he saw Helena's concerned face looking over him when he'd awakened from the Eagle crash. At the time he thought he might be more seriously injured, possibly even fatally, but seeing her lovely face before him as the gurney rushed him to Medical Center was a fine way to leave the mortal coil if it had to happen.

He had escaped death then and would again, Koenig was sure.

Now he had to concentrate on the task at hand. Area Three was right before him and while he could see the repercussion of a burn-out he could not see a source. There were no longer cannisters of radioactive material in area three so what had they just witnessed?

"Anything, Paul?" Koenig called to Main Mission.

"No sir, it's as if a space wind had blown up dust. But that is all."

Koenig could almost laugh at the idea. Wind in space. Paul was reading too many fantasy books.

"I'm receiving a very minor radioactive reading, John." Victor called. "Only a few decimals higher than what a normal appraisal should be."

"Have we heard back from Eagles One through Four? Are they receiving the same readings?"

"Eagle Three picked up a minor rise in activity but it only lasted for a few seconds then the readings were normal again. Computer put it down to a simple anomaly."

"Ask Computer where exactly that anomaly took place and ..."

"Commander!" Sandra stood suddenly. Her sharp eyes had caught something others had missed. "Three degrees to your right!"

Another Eagle, one of their own, was flying directly towards Koenig's. The Commander and Main Mission had no idea where had it come from and, a the moment, Koenig did not have time to query.

"John!" Helena cried, dropping her files, looking up as all the rest were.

Collision was imminent!

* * *

 **Chapter 7 Coming Soon ...**


	7. Chapter 7

**(7)**

His reflexes did not fail him.

Early in his career John Koenig was told by a Bulgarian, the expert pilot teaching he and other young men how to fly Eagles, to never take their hands off of the controls. Unless, of course, they were one hundred percent certain Alpha Control had taken over the automatic mechanism of their transport. _'And keep your eyes open!'_ he emphasized.

Koenig was a good student and, all these years later, when he saw Eagle Eight coming straight at him, he veered, both hands on his controls. The crafts barely missed one another. However, Eagle Eight's trajectory – their men's attempts at avoiding a collision - took it on a spiraling fall, impacting on the moon's service.

Emergency and medical crews were immediately dispatched.

"Who the hell was that?!" Koenig shouted, anxiety reasonably accentuated.

"It's none of the four Eagles sent on the recon mission, Commander." Kano reported, "But it _is_ manned … and computer says it was on its way to Area Three or nearby."

Calming, Koenig asked: "Anymore activity near Area Three?"

"None, Commander. No radioactivity. No magnetic energy." Sandra reported. _At least, not right now._ She did not have to say it. They all knew what she meant.

"I'll do a quick visual fly over. My ETA 1500."

* * *

The Commander had taken off his space suit and by the time the travel tube doors opened he was composed and not surprised to see an anxious but controlled spouse standing before him. Helena greeted him, at first with a somewhat reprimanding expression then with a hug, and a nearly none detectable sob. He could hear her fear but no other would. Not even the security guards standing by to get their instructions.

"All right?" she asked when they parted.

"Perfectly fine." He assured gently, holding one of her hands. When she looked up into his eyes and did not look certain, he said, "Really, I'm good, Helena." Then quietly: "Are _you_?"

She gulped ever so slightly, "Yes." She whispered, "If I'm going to be married to a man like you I'll have to be."

"When we get back to Earth," he pledged, "No more danger." Then added, "At least not from space."

She smiled softly, looking as if she wanted to say something that had been weighing on her mind, but decided not to. Instead, Helena said: "John, we have the men that were in Eagle Eight. One died on impact but the other is alive. His condition is critical, but the pilot is conscious."

"Who?"

"Horvat and Rossi, two of the men Gorski appointed to Alpha."

* * *

Koenig made a bee-line to Medical Center. He needed to speak with Horvat, no matter his condition.

Helena followed, nearly having to run while keeping up with her husband's long strides. "John, he may not be able to communicate."

"Helena, we need answers and we need them now!"

"I know." She murmured, recognizing his ways and knowing how true the statement was.

When they entered the medical unit Dr. Mathias was working over the badly burned pilot, a nurse and intern by his side. Horvat, eyes closed, was reclining in a bath of various soothing and healing solutions, his head just above the water line. His burned face was partially covered with gauze and a blue cleansing medication.

The man was close to death. There was no other way to describe it.

"I need to speak with this man, Bob."

When he heard his Commander, Horvat's eyes opened.

"Understood Commander, but he's precarious. I need room and time to save his life."

"I recognize that, Doctor, but if he knows anything about what is happening near Area Three, we need to talk with him – and very soon."

"John," Helena put a hand on his arm and gently tugged, "Let him finish."

Taking in an impatient breath, Koenig did what he was told. Obviously, Alpha needed the potential information the Eagle pilot had to share. Yet, John confessed silently to himself, he was also angry and a bit insulted by what these men represented. _Disloyalty._ Somehow, they had hijacked and crashed that Eagle - and were apparently taking part in some clandestine activity no one knew anything about - to the detriment of the moonbase and everyone working in it.

How long did they think no one would notice? With Gorski in Command it must have been much easier to fly under the radar. As a matter of fact, he helped them. But why?

A call came to his comlock and Koenig, with Helena, stepped back to listen. "Tell me what you know, Paul."

"Inside the passenger module were ten of the missing containers, Commander. Also, the recovery crew said salvage equipment was detected as well."

"Keep an eye on Area Three." He snapped his comlock off.

Helena saw a new resolve in his expression as John stepped forward, not so gently pushing aside the nurse and intern.

Leaning over the injured man, Koenig said: "Horvat, if that is your real name, this is your Commander. Gorski is no longer in charge. Do you understand?"

The man looked up at him and nodded ever so slightly.

"Commander ..." Mathias began but a look from Helena silenced the CMO.

"We know there are other canisters out there and they need to be found – _quickly_. Do you know where they are?"

The man's eyes widened, and he took a breath, attempting to speak. Only a deep growl could be heard.

"Please try harder, Horvat. We need to know!" Koenig urged.

"Eezveeneete*." Horvat nearly barked, painfully. "Neechevo srashnava** …"

"That's not Swiss." Mathias commented.

"No." Helena said, "It's Russian."

"English, Speak English." Koenig urged. "Where are the canisters? Where can we find them?"

Horvat's expression, pained and sorrowful, stilled and his last words were: "Forgive us our blind stupidity …" in the accent of his indigenous country.

The monitor above his bath blanked.

Exasperated and fearful, Koenig stood straight. "Call Sorenson and Murphy to my office, _now_." He told Helena. There would be time to grieve for the two fallen men later. They needed answers immediately!

* * *

Before they met in his office, Koenig was informed by Professor Bergman that the radiation infection plaguing their pilots appeared to be gravitational radiation, not magnetic.

"Is that even possible?" he asked Helena.

"Apparently," she said, "And I am going to want to read-up and do research on it as soon as we are safe but for now …."

They placed the readings in Dr. Mathias capable hands and their CMO was advised to do his best. Helena told him she would help him calculate and possibly develop an inoculation for others on the base but, meanwhile, she was needed elsewhere.

The man and woman were interrogated, sitting in Koenig's office behind a desk, as Koenig and the others stood above them, wanting answers.

"My name is Maria Volkov." The woman, with a clearly Russian accent, known as Tia Murphy, spoke. She appeared defiant and unpersuasive.

"Sergi Orlov." Sorenson said, his French-Canadian accent a mere memory. "We report to no one but our direct superiors." He said, boldly.

"You are." Victor Bergman advised, "John Koenig is your Commander and superior."

"Commander Gorski …"

" _Gorski is gone_." Koenig snapped. "After I put in my report he may also be arrested, as will others. _I_ am your superior and I want details."

The man and woman appeared uneasy but kept their mouths shut.

Bergman attempted to speak reasonably, "We know you took those retrofitted canisters from stores and planned to use them after you uncovered the ineffectual containers your comrades buried over twenty years ago. You should be admired for that. But what you do not know is that the retrofitted receptacles you were using are ineffectual. They were over-hauled later under the guidance of myself."

Koenig barked, "I don't know how many you have already replaced but it's all for nothing unless the improved containers are used. We need to know where they are located so we can get them out and upgrade the nuclear waste storage units. Can't you see how much danger we're in?"

The man and woman looked at each other, now seemingly unsure.

Helena finally said, "There are four men in Medical Center, in the critical care unit, who have been exposed to your breached receptacles. We know they must be somewhere near Area Three. We've seen evidence of this. More people are going to become infected and die unless you allow us to make these changes. Help us, _please_."

Maria finally looked at Helena and implored, "Our people have been trying to get a significant hold on Alpha from the very beginning. We tried to get those canisters out, prevent them from doing harm, the moment we learned about the first infections, months ago. But we kept getting disrupted. There was always someone from Space Commission here on Alpha, prying eyes, questions being asked … Even having Gorski as Commander did not make our mission easy."

"Gorski knew what was going on?"

"Of course, he did. But he was unreliable. We could not be certain if he truly understood the enormity of what was happening."

"Then tell us now!" Koenig came closer, nearly menacing, and leaned over to look directly into the woman's bright blue eyes, "We just want to do what's right."

After a moment, the engineer looked over at her comrade. "Tell them." she said. "It needs to be done, either with us or without us."

The man looked taken aback at first, but it was obvious by his appearance that he saw the sense in her words and the situation. "I will show you the course, Commander." He then sighed, somewhat beaten, as a map of the moon was placed on the table before him, "The Eagles had to fly through Area Three to get to their destination. That is why there was such confusion and why the astronauts became ill. We took a different route ..."

"Commander!" Sandra Benes called urgently over Koenig's console from Main Mission, "We are detecting a disturbance on the moon's surface …"

Suddenly, the base began to rumble. A tile flew passed Koenig's head as he and others struggled up the stairs to get a better look at the chaos in Main Mission.

"Paul, what is happening?!" Koenig shouted.

His answer was incoherent as the explosion, depicted on their Big Screen, took place. It was too late. The canisters, underground for far too long without repair, were venting their fury.

John Koenig watched and felt as he and his people were knocked off their feet, pinned to the floor, as an inevitable cataclysmic disaster occurred.

The moon and Earth would never be the same again.

* * *

 _Interpretation: *Sorry **No harm (was meant)_

* * *

 **Chapter 8 Coming soon ...**


	8. Chapter 8

**(8)**

For the rest of her life Helena Russell Koenig would never forget the excruciating sensations and terror of that day. She remembered being knocked off her feet, rolling not so gently down the stairs into Main Mission, and fearing for not just her life but for John and others. She felt the pressure flattening her to the floor and because she was facing to the right When the G Forces were at their foulest, she could see poor Sandra Benes just as impaired, if not worse, where she lay. But more than any of this, Helena recalled hearing the static, people's voices, cries and screams. She then mercifully passed out.

John Koenig had managed to get to the ground floor of Main Mission before any of the others and he suddenly found himself laying on the tiles, unable to move. For a moment he thought he was dying, the ache in his head and lungs so acute as if to blind and crush, but then he heard something so strange he knew he must be alive.

Alan Carter was calling to him or more precisely to Moonbase Alpha … "This is the Meta Probe ship! Can you hear us Alpha? Dear God, is that really you?!"

Finding vitality he should not have had, Koenig painfully crawled on the floor, the G Forces placing agonizing pressure on his limbs and torso. John could hear someone in the background – possibly Professor Mueller, telling someone else that it "had to be Earth's moon" and another crying: "Impossible!" and yet another declaring: "We know it is!"

"Alpha, are any of you alive?!"

Koenig managed to crawl up to Paul Morrow's consol. Later, he would not be able to tell Victor or any of the others how he managed such an unachievable undertaking. He flipped a switch. "Alan …" he called. "Help us."

And that was all he remembered.

* * *

"Wake up, John!"

Koenig took in a deep breath and immediately sat up. It was not a good idea. His head swam and for a moment he thought he was going to be sick.

"Here you go." It was Victor beside him, on his knees, passing him a cup of water. A bit of blood had dried near his ears but the Professor looked better than most. John drank and looked about.

Paul, appearing pale and nervous, was up. As was a button pushing Kano, attempting to bring Computer up to speed. John could also see Sandra trying shakily to get to her feet but settling, for the moment, to squat until she regained her wits.

"Environment?" The Commander asked over the cup to Victor, in a slightly croaking voice.

"Good for now and holding. We're awaiting reports from various sections of Alpha. Medical has already reported in and …"

" _Helena_!" Koenig suddenly exclaimed, pushing away the cup, and allowing Victor to help him to his feet.

"Over there. See." The Professor quickly assured.

She was trying to raise herself off the floor, using the steps up to his office for leverage. John noted she had a bruise and a cut at the side of her mouth. He recalled seeing her take a tumble down the steps and, despite needing to know the welfare of Alpha as a whole, Koenig could not help but go to Helena first.

The couple came together in a relieved embrace.

"Okay?" she asked him, giving her husband a quick visual look-over.

"Yes." He smiled very gently, "I am now." He touched her hair and cheek.

"John, what happened to us? An explosion?"

"A big one." Victor said and unsteadily walked over to Sandra's console to punch up their Big Screen. "Enough to break us free from Earth. We're still moving but not at the speed we were when launched through our galaxy."

"I saw us pass Saturn then, I think, Alpha Centauri." Morrow murmured, sitting now at his desk. "I thought I was dreaming. Or having a nightmare."

Koenig released Helena and looked up at the screen, noting how quickly they were still moving, "I thought I heard Alan." He said. Then: "Are we getting anything from Earth? Any communication?" He looked over and saw Sandra slide into her chair. She seemed to be nursing her left arm and he suspected it was broken. He had to admire the young woman's insistence at doing her job but he would ultimately make her go to the medical unit, when it was fully operational.

"I'm opening channels now, Commander." She said.

Scrambled conversation could be heard. Not only queries from Space Commission but news outlets reporting in on earthquakes, typhoons, volcanic eruptions and casualties. There were so many dead. It was no wonder no one was really asking about those on Moonbase Alpha now that their moon had clearly been propelled from Earth orbit.

"They have enough going on to be concerned with us." Victor said, disappointed and clearly reading Koenig's mind. "Most on Earth, those who are still alive, probably don't have a clue how or why it happened."

 _'_ _Some knew.'_ Koenig thought, _'And would one day pay for their treacherous secrets.'_ However, he did not say it aloud. For all he knew those responsible might already be dead. Indeed, everyone on Alpha should have died and, he suspected, there probably were serious casualties to report once he heard from all departments.

"John," Helena touched his shoulder, "I have to go to Medical Center. Bob must have a mess on his hands."

"Is it safe?" he called to his controller.

"Yes, Medical called in and they are receiving patients as we speak. Two doctors are dead and an orderly. They need you badly, Doctor."

"Go ahead." John told her, regretfully. He would much rather have her close but knew where she belonged. "Be careful." He gently squeezed Helena's hand before she left.

* * *

Slowly, as the hours passed, Alpha came back to itself. There was a great deal of destruction and chaos but those who survived, about three hundred and eleven men and women, were grateful to be alive.

There were stunning surprises. The crater that the nuclear waste explosion had caused was immense and the subsequent shock waves should have taken out the base and cracked the moon in several small pieces. Yet it hadn't. The only explanation Victor could give was divine.

"I'm a scientist, John. But if ever there was a time for me to turn spiritual this is it. Only a mysterious unknown alien force or the hand of God could save us from such devastation."

Koenig's eyes enlarged at the pronouncement.

"But do not quote me on that." Victor added, a bit sheepishly.

Then, there was Alan Carter and the crew of the Meta probe. The moon had passed them, they saw it, and Alan ordered the ship to follow. "It was tough keeping up with you." He told them, "But we had no choice. If we stayed on course, we might never have made it back to Earth!"

During an impromptu meeting in Main Mission, not thirty minutes after, the probe ship had landed on the moon, the pilot and crew explained that Professor Kilgore had been overcome by an alien lifeform from Meta.

"The planet's name is actually _Keisa_." Professor Mueller explained, "Arthur and I were studying our potenial orbit around the planet when we lost contact with it and Moonbase Alpha. It was a bad time. It was as if we were being blinded in deep space and we did not know if we would ever get to Meta or be able to return home. Then Arthur began to act peculiarly …"

"Did you hear us trying to contact you?" Koenig interrupted, asking Carter.

"Not always but we did get bursts of wording here and there. Some signals. We were just happy to know you hadn't forgotten about us."

"What did the alien lifeform want?" Bergman asked, fascinated.

"It was what it did _not_ want." Dr. Yoshi said. Their probe MD, usually serious and quiet, spoke up. "It told us Earth people were not meant to come to their world just yet. Through Dr. Kilgore we were told that we all had a bigger reason for travelling space, something we did not fully understand but perhaps would someday. It also told us it was futile to return home to Earth. It was better that we stayed still in space and waited until our purpose was made clear."

"You can imagine how well that went over." Alan noted with a wry smile.

"Yes," Mueller concurred, "Apparently our alien friends knew before we did that the moon was not going to remain near Earth."

"How could they know?" Kano wondered, " _We_ didn't know what was going to happen."

Another mystery for another meeting, Koenig thought. Professor Kilgore was taken to Medical Center, to add to the others, but he was going to be fine. Koenig had a feeling their journey through deep space was going to be filled with mysteries and awe-inspiring sights. And most probably danger. They would have to make the best of it because – sadly – they would never be able to return home. Alpha was their abode until they found another, perhaps on a new blue and green world with clean air and an unspoiled landscape. It was sad that Meta - or Keisa - was not that world but there had to be another out there for them.

"So much for that Mediterranean cruise." Koenig whispered under his breath.

"What, John?" Victor asked, beside him.

"Nothing."

* * *

Helena slid the report in its file to be later input into their medical computer. Nearly three weeks had passed since the exit from their own galaxy and there was still so much work to do. While the radiation levels on the moon's surface had finally reduced to a safe level, quelling many fears, the casualties had been many.

There was not as many dead as at first feared, although all the men in their ICU had perished, but the psychological effect of having been torn away from the only home any of them had ever known was much worse for some than others. While they were all professional men and women, it did not mean they were free from anxiety, hallucinations, and the occasional lapse into depression.

Some, like Victor Bergman, were over-joyed with their new adventure while others, like Sergi Orlov – feeling guilt and shame over his part in the accident - had decided to end it all with a very sharp knife from one of Alpha's kitchens. He was saved before he could go through with the suicide, but Dr. Mathias quickly saw that he was needed full time in their mental health department. He asked Helena if she would be willing to return as Alpha's Chief Medical Officer.

How could she say "no" when she was needed so badly?

"However," she said quietly to Bob, "You and I both know that I am going to eventually be busy with other matters. We are going to need a contingency plan, perhaps making some of our interns or ambitious nurses into doctors. That means we are going to be a _teaching_ medical unit - as well as treating our people."

Dr. Mathias told her he would leave it entirely up to her. Once again, Helena was Alpha's CMO and would receive all the perks – which were few under the circumstances - and respect that title allowed. Then he smirked, "Have you told him about Sue Crawford yet?"

"He's been occupied but I will." She promised and took a breath. "I have many things to tell him."

"Well, one nice thing. We are coming up on a planet that is potentially habitable. It would be nice to start out right, having some little ones born on a new happy home."

"Undeniably." Helena thought.

* * *

She told him that evening as they strolled about the arboretum. Thanks to a new soil softening process, enriching the experimental earth hydroponic specialist brought with them to Alpha, vegetables were growing regularly, and the new cropping would be ready in a few weeks. All were grateful because their protein stores were getting a little low and vegetables were seriously needed.

"Sue is going to have a baby?" he asked just to be certain.

"I'm afraid so." Helena said with a small smile, "She and Jack knew about it before we broke away but thought they would be home before she started to show."

"I don't suppose there is anything we can do about it."

Helena's eyes widened slightly at his comment. "No, unless you want to tell the happy-mother-to-be that her child will be a burden on Alpha, therefore needs to be eliminated."

This time it was John's eyes that widened as he looked down at Helena, at her bluntness and somewhat miffed expression. "You know I didn't mean anything so heartless." He said, "But population control on Alpha is going to be a serious consideration. We can't afford anymore unplanned pregnancies. Besides," he added, putting an arm around her shoulders, as they walked. "one day I might want to try it out for myself."

"Becoming pregnant?" Helena teased, dryly.

"Having kids." He said, although he knew she understood.

Helena stopped walking and looked a little uncomfortable. "It may happen sooner than you think."

As realization dawned, Koenig found himself as still as Helena. They were both wordless for a count of twenty seconds. He wasn't sure how he felt about what she did not say.

"I umh," Helena gently cleared her throat, and watched as he turned to face her. "I went to Bob a few days ago to update my IUD. The medical staff really did _not_ do a thorough exam when they were quickly getting us ready to fly to the moon. Remember the turmoil, all that paperwork and exceptions? I had no idea and … Well, Bob said it was too late. I am about eight weeks along."

John placed his hands on her arms, "Are _you_ all right?" He remembered the tumble she took down the stairs during Breakaway. Helena still had a small bit of discoloration near the corner of her mouth. "Is the baby?"

Helena now fully smiled, "Yes, we are both fine, darling." She sobbed as John Koenig took her in his arms. His embrace was warm and he was telling her, without words, that he loved his wife, the eventual mother of his son or daughter, with all his heart.

John said, "We are approaching a promising planet. Who knows. Maybe this will be our home. Both you and Sue will be the first women to raise their children on our new world."

"What will we call this new home?" Helena wondered.

"Computer has already given it a name." John cupped her right cheek, "It's called Terra Nova."

A promising name for a world filled with unknown wonders.

They did not know what to expect but, John was sure, it would be very interesting. And he smiled, knowing that would be something their friend, the godfather of their child, Victor Bergman would say.

The future - frightening, fascinating and fantastic - was theirs.

* * *

 **THE END**

May-June 2018.

* * *

 _Thank you all for your wonderful comments and expressions of enthusiasm. I've said I before: A fan writer really has no idea how their work is being received, if it is liked at all, unless fans like you tell them. Take care everyone and have a wonderful Summer! Becky_


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